SAN FRANCISCO — Players like tight end Julius Thomas disappear every day from the NFL.

Thomas was drafted in a round — the fourth — where teams take chances on risky talent, but with modest investment. He was a player hindered early by stubborn injury. A player with more potential than production through his first two seasons.

Eventually, many of those players go away with a "woulda, coulda, shoulda" story to tell.

Thomas, though, still was in there well into the second half of the Broncos' preseason opener Thursday night, a 10-6 victory over the 49ers at Candlestick Park. No Broncos starter played more.

"It was all right," Thomas said of his preseason performance. "It was fun to be out there again, but I've got a long ways to go. I've got to get better out there."

Thomas gets it. He led all Broncos receivers with four catches for 35 yards against the 49ers, yet satisfaction will never come during his first real playing opportunity. A high ankle sprain suffered on his first, and only, catch of his NFL career created concerns about whether Thomas, a basketball player in college, could handle the physical rigors of football.

But Thomas is as smart as he is determined. He attacked the blocking part of his game. Thomas no longer is limited to the receiving tight end position. He has become a legitimate line-of-scrimmage tight end.

"He continues to make plays in practice, and he made some nice catches (against the 49ers,)" quarterback Peyton Manning said. "I know he wants to just get more comfortable in the entire offense, the run blocking, the pass blocking.

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"Certainly in the pass receiving, everybody has seen what he has been able to do. So, I think he'll just continue to improve and I think he can be a big part of the offense this year."

Look at Anderson go. Thomas was expected to make the 53-man roster regardless of how well he played in the preseason opener. So was strong safety Duke Ihenacho.

Running back C.J. Anderson may have been the player who put himself into 53-man roster consideration based on his preseason-opening effort.

Don't get too carried away. Where have you gone, Xavier Omon? But it might be difficult for the Broncos to slide Anderson onto their practice squad after his 15-carry, 69-yard game against the 49ers.

An undrafted rookie from California, Anderson also has done well in practice. And at 224 pounds, he's the only "big" back on the Denver roster.

Big day Thursday. Much is happening Thursday at Dove Valley. Tom Heckert, the Broncos' director of pro personnel, will return from his suspension that day, which also is the last day of training camp. He will travel with the team to Seattle for the Broncos' preseason game Saturday.

Thursday also is when NFL officials will meet with Von Miller's representatives to discuss the four-game suspension the linebacker received for allegedly violating the league's drug policy.

"I'm confident about it," Miller said at Candlestick Park. "Everybody is confident about it. I think my situation is different. I'm just looking forward to getting a resolution and getting it out of the way.

"It's tough enough to play football as it is, let alone when you have all this other stuff going on. I'm looking forward to just being with my teammates and having it all be about football."